The objectives of the Administrative Core are two-fold; (1) to provide coordination, logistical support, and financial accounting for all Cores and Research Projects; (2) to foster interactive activities and integrative research. The program director of the project, Susan Goldin-Meadow, will serve a core leader for Core A, and will make decisions about the use of Core services with the input of the Steering Committee, composed of the five Project and Core Leaders: Susan Goldin-Meadow (Project I; Core A), Susan Levine ( Project II), Steven Small (Project III), Stephen Raudenbush (Core C), Lindsey Richland (Core B). To achieve its first goal. Core A provides the other Cores and Research Projects with the following services; 1) managing recruitment, hiring, and review process for full-time staff; 2) procuring services, supplies, and equipment; 3) preparing progress and fiscal reports; 4) paying participants in all projects; 5) maintaining IRB approvals; 6) preserving copies of records and datasets. By providing these services to each of the three research projects and the two cores. Core A prevents duplication of effort within each of the separate projects. To achieve its second goal of fostering integrative research. Core A is responsible for arranging meetings among the Program Project personnel, with invited speakers, and with the Scientific Advisory Committee. To encourage interaction, four levels of meetings will be held: 1) two meetings of the Scientific Advisory Committee; 2) monthly meetings of the Steering Committee; 3) monthly seminar and speaker series; and 4) semi-monthly joint lab meetings. The quality of the implementation of Core A services is monitored by the Project and Core Leaders, as well as by University of Chicago protocols for purchasing goods and services; protocols for post-award accounting and reporting; protocols for recruiting and hiring staff; and protocols for insuring the protection of human subjects in research. RELEVANCE (See instructions): Core A provides administrative support for the entire program project, which is designed to explore the impact of environmental and biological variation on how children learn to use their language for higher order thinking, a key cognitive underpinning of academic and 21^' century career success.